Thailand and Cambodia yesterday reaffirmed their shaky ceasefire violation after days of fighting along their border, as China stepped in to negotiate with the two countries.
The ceasefire reached in Malaysia was supposed to take effect at midnight on Monday, but was quickly tested. Thailand’s army accused Cambodia of launching attacks in multiple areas early on Tuesday, but Cambodia said there was no firing. The Thai army then reported exchanges of gunfire into yesterday morning, but said there was no use of heavy artillery.
“Such act of aggression constitutes once again a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement by Cambodian forces and their apparent lack of good faith,” the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement yesterday morning.
Photo: AFP
However, by yesterday afternoon, both sides appeared to have reaffirmed their commitment to a ceasefire, with representatives appearing smiling in a photograph with Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Sun Weidong (孫衛東) at a meeting in Shanghai.
“Cambodia and Thailand reiterated to China their commitment to the ceasefire consensus and expressed appreciation for China’s positive role in de-escalating the situation,” a statement from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
China said the informal meeting was its “latest diplomatic effort” and it was playing a “constructive role in resolving their border dispute,” the statement said.
The fighting on Tuesday night occurred in Phu Makhuea, a mountain in a disputed area next to Thaikand’s Sisaket province.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai on Monday agreed to an “unconditional” halt in fighting, which has killed at least 41 people.
The meeting was hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as annual chair of the ASEAN. He called the ceasefire a “vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security.”
The ceasefire was brokered with US pressure and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington applauded the declaration.
Hun Manet on Tuesday said that Trump had called to offer congratulations for the peace move and posted on social media that Trump pledged the US would join the monitoring process along with Malaysia to ensure the ceasefire is implemented.
Cambodia and Thailand have clashed in the past over their 800km border. The fighting began on Thursday last week after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Tensions had been growing since May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift and roiled Thailand’s domestic politics.
While some residents near the border have started returning home, many remain behind in evacuation shelters, uncertain of their fate.
Vendor Kanchana Sukjit, 33, said she fled home near the Ta Muen Thom temple with a few belongings and her small white-colored dog, Nam Khaeng, which means ice in Thai. The temple had been one of the main flash points in the conflict over the past week.
“I’m stressed when I read the news, like when reports said they were going to fire [a long-range rocket], because my home is right next to a military camp. I was quite stressed that day because I was afraid that my home would get caught in a crossfire,” she said.
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